Addiction
by Silvery Moonfruit
Summary: No one can seem to stop Joey from abusing his body because he thinks differently about the world. Not even his own friends can help, but only one person can lead him away from the path of death. Discontinued.
1. Pain

Author's Notes: I fixed the plothole from the original version, so enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Chapter 1: Pain

The wheels of the carrier rolled down the hallway of the hospital. The rapid footsteps of the nurse and doctor seemed to echo down, taking the critical patient to the emergency room. A woman with blonde hair raced down with them, her violet eyes filled with tears. She grabbed the patient's pale and cold hands, she was afraid that he would not survive any longer in this world.

Finally they arrived at the desired room, stopping the carrier by the bed, and the nurses placed the near lifeless form on it. The doctor told his assistant to attach plugs to the patient's chest to check his heart rate.

Mai stood in the corner, petrified of Joey's condition. "Please live…" she sobbed,

How did Joey ever put himself through so much agony? The world can be a cruel place sometimes, but Joey was unable to see the lighter side of it. To him, the outside world was filled with sorrow and hatred, no one seemed to care about one another. Joey wanted to rid himself of his anguish, but didn't know how.

His only decision: harming his body. Joey sealed himself away from his friends and especially his sister, Serenity, and the sole help he had was the pain he did to his body. Sure Joey would have killed himself then and there, but he wanted to die slowly. He needed to release his grief someway, no one could stop him since they did not know what he was doing.

Even Yugi couldn't prevent Joey to do this; Joey found the young duelist naïve, because as friends they should tell each other their pain. He knew Yugi would decline, knowing him Yugi would probably try to seek help.

The pungent scent of alcohol satiated the apartment; clothes laid dismayed on the floor, as a figure sat on his sofa. Syringes and beer bottles were thrown about on the table; one of the bottles slid down and fell, shattering into pieces.

That is what became of Joey. His life fell into pieces, unable to be put back together. If anyone could fix the puzzle of Joey's heart, that would be a major task. The pain he inflicted upon himself caused great damage, and no one could repair him.

Joey stared menacingly at the sharp knife, the blade glimmering in the light. This was his salvation; his only escape from reality. No one could stop Joey, as he plunged the metal within the main vein of his left wrist. Warm blood dripped from the wound, gleaming in Joey's eyes. The red liquid poured around his arm, and then descended to the floor.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Joey cursed under his breath, because he didn't like anyone interrupting his time. He placed the bloody knife on the table, and walked to the door. The last person he used to been thrilled with seeing waited outside for Joey to open the door.

Yugi nodded to the doorway. He came to see how Joey was doing because he had not shown his face around his friends anymore. He noticed the door cracked opened, as Joey peered through the crevice.

"What do you want?" Joey asked impatiently.

"Uh…" Yugi stuttered, realizing blood trickled on the floor, "Joey, what were you doing before I came?"

"None of your business!" Joey snapped. He hid his bloodied arm away from sight.

Yugi was not convinced at all to his response. _Joey wouldn't keep secrets from me,_ he thought. Instead, Yugi pushed Joey aside and barged into his apartment. His eyes nearly doubled as he saw Joey's arm. _Did he cut himself by accident?_

Joey glowered at the young duelist. "Yugi, get out!" he demanded, indicating the door.

Yugi took a closer look at his apartment, shocked to see syringes and bottles sprawled around. He stood back, frightened of what Joey might do. "What are you thinking?" Yugi asked.

"YUGI, GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" Joey roared.

"I'm not leaving!" Yugi said defiantly.

Joey's face turned red; Yugi had angered him and now he had to pay the price. He towered over Yugi and grabbed his arm forcefully.

"Joey, don't!" Yugi pleaded, trying to free himself. Joey managed to tighten his grip, the feeling made Yugi's arm feel stunned. "STOP!"

Joey released his arm, as Yugi stumbled to the floor. "Now go!" he shouted.

Yugi held his numb arm, but decided to leave. Before he did, he had a few words of advice for Joey. "You need help… Whether or not you agree, you can't persist on harming yourself."

Joey remained silent. Yugi frowned, and left the apartment. Finally Joey could resume his task. Unfortunately, he felt hungry and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He opened the refrigerator door, seeing beer and not much to snack on. Joey closed it, grabbing an apple on the counter and returning to his living room.

"That fool." Joey muttered, biting into the fruit.

The more Joey continued eating, the less his appetite bothered him. He was only halfway done, but chose to stop. Joey dropped the apple on the table, then lied back on the sofa, his eyes slowly closed. He felt very feeble, perhaps from the lack of food in the past two days. Why would he care? This was part of his daily ritual, nonetheless.

Joey maintained slumber as fatigue overtook him. His eyes were half-lidded, the golden-brown color seemed to become clouded in an unearthly brown. Gradually, he awoken from sleep, trying to get back up, and yet, found it difficult to do so. The half-eaten apple began to decay a crispy brown coating; Joey could not endure staring at it, since it would make him hungry again.

He picked up the rotten fruit and disposed of it into the garbage bin in his kitchen. Then he went back to his living room, gazing out the window as rain started to fall. Joey felt his depression returning, and he thought it was time to repeat the cycle of anguish once more. He watched carefully at each drop of water bucketing down from the sky, each splattering upon the windowpane.

This time, Joey picked up a clean syringe, and searched for the drug that would temporarily cure him of his ache. He realized that he did not have any more to ease his pain, and now he had to go out, obtaining the drug from the streets of Domino.

Joey grabbed his coat hanging on the wall, and headed out, the rain continued to drip from the sky. He looked around to make sure Yugi had left before setting out on his own. The water drops poured heavily on his form, but it didn't matter to him. All he wanted was to get rid of his misery.

An upset Yugi walked back to the Kame Game Shop. He clutched his arm, hopeful that Joey did not do any damage to it. They have been friends long enough for Yugi to know that Joey would never abuse himself. Yugi didn't know why Joey was doing this, many questions formulated in his mind. He stared sadly towards the sky, the rain seemed to express his sorrow in a way, and he just wanted to get back to his friends.

He arrived home as Téa and Tristan awaited the news he brought with him. All three of them would have went to see Joey, but they decided that it was best for Yugi to go, yet they saw Yugi approaching them, and they became concerned. It seemed his visit didn't turn out good by his look of despair.

Téa stepped forward. "How is Joey?" Yugi turned away, shutting his eyes in disappointment. "Yugi?" She went over to his side to try to comfort him.

"You know Joey's father is no longer living with him," Tristan stated. "because he thought it was time he moved on."

"It's not that…" Yugi cried, as unshed tears formed in his eyes. "We need to call Serenity."

"Why?" Téa queried. She noticed Yugi walking towards the phone attached to the wall.

Yugi picked the phone from the receiver, and raised his index finger on the numbers. He paused to answer Téa's question. "I found Joey cutting himself." Both his friends became shocked.

"There can be no way he's doing that!" Tristan argued. He ridiculed Yugi's response, knowing that Joey had too much to live for. "Are you sure he didn't accidentally cut himself, like he was cooking dinner?"

Yugi shook his head. "Believe me, I think he's also drinking and taking drugs." he added.

"This is Joey we're talking about?" Téa responded.

"I know what I saw." Yugi urged. He put back the phone on its receiver, he probably would call Serenity later, but this was urgent. "Think about it, why hasn't Joey come out of his apartment for weeks?"

"Maybe you're on to something." Tristan mused.

"Joey's not likely to accept our help. I don't understand why he's harming himself." Yugi pondered. He rested his sprained arm on the counter, and pain jolted throughout his body. Yugi almost forgot about it; bruises started to develop where Joey had hurt him.

"What happened to your arm?" Tristan asked, glancing at the injured arm.

"I hope Joey wasn't responsible." Téa said. She strolled to Yugi, grabbing his arm and massaging it. She saw Yugi's darkened look, it was clear to her that Joey did, in fact, hurt him. "Is there anything else Joey might be doing?"

"That's all I saw. It happened so quickly, but he needs help!" Yugi advised. His arm continued to sore; though it was hard to believe that Joey would ever do that to Yugi. "We must alert Serenity."

"Let's hope she can convince Joey to stop." Téa said, releasing her hold on Yugi.

"Let's hope a miracle can happen." Tristan replied, slamming his fist on the counter.

A blonde-haired woman sat alone in a bar somewhere in Domino. She twirled her drink tentatively, glimpsing at the many people inside. She had nearly given up coming back to Domino City, but this time she wanted to visit a particular someone. Her eyes drifted from person to person, and she noticed a door in the far corner which seemed to lead to a room where drug dealers sold their customers narcotics and such.

_Why did I even come here?_ the woman named Mai thought. She paid for her drink, and got off the stool. Her black leather high-heeled shoes clicked with each step she took, she ignored the gazes of the drunken men.

Mai felt disgusted of them, the smell of alcohol wafted around her as a sick sensation came to her stomach. She tugged on her jacket, and proceeded to the door, not before an angered Joey barged in.

Mai stood back in fear, wondering why Joey was here. She could have said something, but Joey managed to walk across the bar and into the other room where the drug dealers dwelled. Moments later, Joey came out, carrying something in the pocket of his green jacket.

"Joey, what are you doing here?" Mai asked, a smile appeared on her face. Joey neglected to see her and continued his way out of the bar. Mai sensed something was wrong with him, he wouldn't have just left without saying a word to her. Her eyes glared at the people who looked at her, wondering what was going on. Mai simply walked out, she had to follow Joey, but he was nowhere in sight.

She encountered the rain, splashing all over her, and pursuing where Joey disappeared to. Mai couldn't give up, she had to see him, and tell him how sorry she was that she left without a single word to him after all that happened with Dartz and the Doom Warriors. It had to be her fault, that Joey departed without saying anything to her. There could be no way he would be giving her the cold shoulder, but why did he come to the bar in the first place?

Mai's suspicion grew and she had to find him. If Joey was doing something bad to himself, she may have to stop him any way she can. "Joey, I don't know what you are up to, but I will find out." Mai declared, making her decision.

She paced down the wet streets to locate Joey's apartment. No matter what, Mai was determined to find him, even if it took her forever. First, she needed to visit her old friends, and she started to head directly to the Kame Game Shop.

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Author's Notes: Just for those who have read stories from _The Phoenix Dragons series_, this story is not part of it. Its part of _The Dark Memories series_ which is completely unrelated. Well, please review and no flames!


	2. A Cry For Help

Chapter 2: A Cry For Help

The clouds loomed high in the sky as Mai ran down the wet streets. Her long hair became drenched with water as was her face. Her boots clicked with each step she took, trying to reach her destination.

Mai made her way to the Kame Game Shop, she raced toward it and barged at the door. The alarming gasp of an old man was heard as Mai entered the shop. She looked around for signs of Yugi, but to no avail.

Solomon stood back as Mai edged closer to him. "What do you want?!" he yelled.

Mai placed her hand on the counter, startling the old man. "Where is Yugi?" she asked.

"Mai." Yugi said as he entered the room. Téa and Tristan stood behind the door leading to Yugi's home. Yugi noticed Mai covered in water, as if she ran in the rain. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw Joey at a bar I was in…" Mai answered, "I think he bought drugs assuming the drug dealers in the place."

"No way!" Yugi shouted in surprise.

Mai stared at him, completely baffled. "Is there something I should know?"

Yugi carefully raised his bandaged arm to show her what Joey had done. Mai's eyes widened in fear, she knew Joey wouldn't be capable of hurting his best friend. Never.

"Come upstairs so we can talk." Yugi insisted, directing Mai to the door where Téa and Tristan hid.

Mai faced Solomon and stared sadly at him. "I'm sorry if I frightened you." she said apologetically.

Téa and Tristan moved out of Yugi's way as he ascended the stairs with Mai. They followed Yugi and Mai; the end of the stairs led them to the living room. Téa and Tristan sat on the sofa, and Yugi sat with them. Mai leaned on the wall beside a window as rain continued to pour. Mai's dripping clothes soaked the carpet whilst her hair became messy from the water.

Yugi stood up and went straight to the bathroom to get a towel for Mai. He opened the closet door and reached for a dry towel. He returned to the living room and gave Mai the cloth.

"Thanks." Mai said, taking the towel. She wrapped her hair around it and rubbed the item to remove the excess water on her.

"Mai," Yugi said as Mai finished drying herself. She looked at him curiously. "Why did you come back?"

Mai took a moment before replying. "The way I left after Dartz was defeated, I didn't feel any remorse at all," she began," I never got the chance to say good-bye to Joey… It took time for me to understand that I was ignorant, and blind to see the truth."

Tristan gave her a smug look. "So you decide after all that time to come back and apologize to the damage you caused us!" He clutched his fists with rage. "Joey didn't deserve to hurt himself, and we have no idea why he's abusing himself!"

"Tristan, calm down." Téa pleaded.

Mai simply ignored his comments. She faced the window, lost in thought. The soft beat of the raindrops soothed her despite the feeling of loneliness in her heart, each drop fell onto the streets, the rhythm allured Mai to its haunting dance.

Téa moved over to where Yugi stood, taken aback by Mai's behavior. "Yugi, is she even listening?" she asked.

"Mai, is there something else you need to tell us?" Yugi questioned. He made his way across the room, and touched Mai on the shoulder.

Mai turned around and snapped back to reality. "Sorry, there isn't much else I can say." Mai responded. "I feel like I was running away from my fears, and I constantly had nightmares when I betrayed you all. I knew the only way to quell myself was coming back here."

"If you're going to visit Joey, be careful." Yugi warned, hiding his injured arm.

Mai's eyes widened with disbelief. She was sure Yugi had hurt by accident. "Joey hurt you?" she inquired. Yugi nodded in response. "What was he thinking? You're his best friend! There must be a way to help him!"

"We don't know his reasons, but we believe that his abuse is harming him both physically and mentally." Téa mused. She glanced at Tristan and then faced Mai. "It's like his soul has been shattered to pieces."

Mai strolled over to the door and placed her hand on the knob. "I'll go talk to him. Hopefully I can knock some sense into that head of his." Mai muttered. She felt something pressed against her back. Mai noticed Yugi handed her an umbrella. "Thank you."

"I assume you know where Joey lives. He doesn't live that far, the building is a bit smaller than the ones surrounding it." Yugi explained, as Mai took the umbrella.

"Maybe one of us should go with you." Téa suggested.

"I'll be fine, Téa." Mai assured, heading to downstairs.

Tristan remained silent the entire time. He still had his doubts about Mai; she completely vanished after the Orichalcos incident, and now she suddenly appeared. He hoped Mai could find the source of Joey's pain.

Mai ran out of the Game Shop, opened the umbrella, and continued her way to Joey's apartment building. The rain poured all over her umbrella as a deepen sorrowful gaze came over her face.

If Joey was really a drug addict and an alcoholic, she needed to see this with her own eyes. Her black boots clicked with each step on the way, Mai carelessly ran into puddles, and she was surprised barely anyone was on the streets except for the people driving in their cars. The buildings around Mai seemed desolate, the lonesome feeling overcame her once again.

Mai finally arrived at the apartment complex where Joey lived, but she stopped. Her hands shook from the cold water and she slowly walked over to the stairway that led to the upper levels.

_What if this was a mistake?,_ Mai thought. She gradually ambled on each step, as if the stairway would collapse at any moment. Mai closed the umbrella as she made it to the top of the stairway. Then she went straight to the next level where Joey's apartment was. Mai looked around as she approached the third level. She walked down the small hall, staring at the name plates on each door. She came upon the name 'Wheeler' and she stood in front of the door.

"Here goes nothing." Mai remarked, ringing the doorbell. She realized the door was left unlock, the temptation made her enter. Just as she did, she found Joey injecting himself with a fluid from a syringe. "Joey!"

Joey lifted his head up, as the needle nearly avoided the his flesh. He glared angrily at her for the disturbance. His eyes met hers, and then he realized who she really was. "Mai…" Joey dropped the syringe on the floor and ran to come face-to-face with her.

Mai looked around his apartment, noticing the bottles and syringes that were haphazardly tossed aside on the floor. She turned away as Joey tried to get closer to her.

"Look, Mai…" Joey tried to get her attention.

"You need help…" Mai sobbed, tears fell from her eyes.

"Not you, too." Joey whined as he allowed Mai to enter his apartment. "First Yugi, now you. Why can't you all leave me alone?!"

"Joey, don't you know we care about you?!" Mai spat.

Joey's eyes quivered in irritation. "I appreciate you carin' about me, but I don't need you or my friends to get into my business!"

Mai proceeded to the door, and opened it. Her back was facing him. "I will come back, and I will make sure that you do get proper help!" Mai slammed the door shut as she made her way out.

Joey stared at the closed doorway. His hands trembled, as he walked back to his sofa, and sat down. "I don't need help… If only you understand, Mai…" Joey said quietly. He picked up the syringe and placed it on the table.

An angry Mai strode down the stairway as the rain began to clear. "That insensitive idiot! What would his sister think when she sees him in the state he is now?!" she contemplated. Mai took a quick pause, and came up with a plan. "Maybe…" She immediately ran back to the Game Shop to tell Yugi, Téa and Tristan of the plan she had to help Joey.

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Author's Notes: If this chapter seemed bland, forgive me. I guess my final exams have been rough on my head, but fortunately they're over. Please review! 


	3. Crawling

Author's Notes: Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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Chapter 3: Crawling

The glistening drops of water drenched the buildings once the rain stopped. Puddles covered the streets of Domino, as cars passed by, splashing its remnants. The sound of racing footsteps echoed as a determined Mai ran down the sidewalk.

She needed to hurry in order to explain the plan that could possibly help Joey. Mai hurried back to the Game Shop; carrying the umbrella Yugi gave her, and she wanted to ask him something. People emerged from their dry, comfortable homes and resumed their day as usual; they got in Mai's way as she tried to reach her destination. Mai preferred it to still rain so she would not have to deal with them.

Mai nearly approached the Game Shop, she had to cross the street to get there, but a passing car put on its brakes once Mai crossed the street. The black limo awaited for Mai to move, yet she was taken aback by the whole event. Her eyes widened with fear, and she slowly walked away.

The limo door opened and the passenger inside was someone Mai would have never imagined seeing. Cold blue eyes stared darkly at Mai; the person was upset by her disturbance. "Why is it that you stopped!" Kaiba yelled at his driver. He glimpsed at Mai, realizing he had see her before.

"Well, if isn't Seto Kaiba." Mai commented. "Don't you have a company to run?"

Kaiba glared at Mai's behavior. "Next time, watch where you're going because you probably wouldn't be alive right now." he warned.

"The great and wealthy CEO of KaibaCorp actually warning me to be careful. The thought of that makes me ill." Mai replied as she faced the Game Shop. "I think you should be the one to advise Joey, because he needs help." Mai continued her way.

Kaiba stood perplexed, his white trench coat billowed in the wind. He lowered his eyes with suspicion of Mai's response. _Why is she talking about the mutt?_ Kaiba thought. _What harm can Wheeler do? He's no threat, unless…_

"Mr. Kaiba," his driver snapped Kaiba out of his thoughts. "Are you ready to go?"

Kaiba simply returned inside the limo without saying a word. He closed the door and ordered his driver to go. The CEO couldn't forget what Mai had said to him, he would care less if the subject involved Joey. He stared out the window watching the clouds disappear and the sun setting in the horizon.

Meanwhile, Mai rushed into the Game Shop, alarming yet again Solomon. She needed to prevent herself from giving Yugi's grandfather into having a heart attack.

"It's you." Solomon said. "Yugi and his friends are upstairs."

Mai laid the umbrella on the counter. "I borrowed this from Yugi." She then proceeded to the stairs. Solomon watched her carefully as Mai climbed the steps.

Each step Mai took made her tremble because even she could not help Joey. She guessed this effort would take all of Joey's friends to accomplish. Mai reached the top of the stairs, noticing that the door was closed. She knocked on it softly, and Yugi opened the door.

The young duelist could tell that Mai was unable to find out anything from Joey. He allowed her to in as her sad gaze explained all to Téa and Tristan.

"Joey didn't listen?" Yugi asked, as Mai sat down on the sofa beside Téa and Tristan.

"No." Mai answered. "I don't understand what his pain could be, though I can't speculate a reason. This will take a lot of work, and I need to call Serenity."

Tristan blinked in confusion. "You think she can help?" he questioned.

Mai nodded. "She must know what her older brother is doing before it's too late!" She clenched her fists tightly with anger. "Joey doesn't deserve to die! He needs to see the consequences of his abuse or else time will run out for him!"

"Hopefully we can reach Serenity on such short notice." Yugi said, walking towards the wall phone. He picked up the phone, and paused for a moment. "Are you sure this is the right choice? I mean, bringing Serenity into this?"

"Yugi, Serenity will be heartbroken if Joey dies." Mai added. "She loves him, but this is the only way."

Yugi shook his head, and began to push the numbers on the phone. He awaited for anyone to answer and someone eventually replied. For some reason Yugi spoke to the person on the other line in whisper, so no one could hear what he was saying.

Mai raised an eyebrow, curious about Yugi's demeanor. She thought Yugi was trying to convince Serenity that Joey was not doing well, and he needed her to comply to come right away. Yugi placed the phone back on the receiver and faced the others.

"Well?" Mai inquired.

"Serenity said she will come, but she has to tell her mother first." Yugi answered. "I have a feeling Mrs. Wheeler may not want her to come alone, but I told Serenity that one of us will pick her up."

"The question is, who will go get her?" Tristan mused. "We need keep Joey under watch of his behavior, and Yugi and Mai have to stay since they can try to help Joey."

"Tristan, maybe you and I should go." Téa suggested.

"You think it's wise for both of you to go?" Mai argued.

Téa scowled at Tristan. "I think Tristan may still love Serenity, so under my protection," Téa clasped her hands together and grinned evilly, "Tristan won't lay a finger on her." Mai and Yugi glanced at each other, frightened of Téa's response.

Tristan moved away from her, terrified of what Téa could do. "Since when do I need a babysitter?" he queried, his voice trembling.

"Tristan, just go with her!" Mai yelled.

"Fine…" Tristan agreed. "Should we go now?"

Yugi looked at the clock, noticing it was near 5 PM. "If you want to catch the next train to Serenity's town, then go." he said. "She'll meet you at the train station when you get there."

Téa and Tristan bid Mai and Yugi their farewells as they headed downstairs. Mai gazed at the window, watching the sun beginning to set. Yug walked over and sat beside her on the sofa, worried about her.

"Mai, everything will be alright." Yugi assured.

"I hope you may be right." Mai replied.

The sunlight reflected upon Joey's face as he stared at the near empty syringe. He injected the needle in his arm, wanting the depression to go away. Joey finished, and placed the item on the table as he rested his back on his sofa. He was feeling queasy all afternoon ever since Mai confronted him, and the lack of nutrients in his body made him fatigue. Just staring at the alcohol bottles made him ill.

"Could what I be doing… Be hurting myself more, or am I just imagining this…?" Joey questioned to himself, intently looking at his nearly healed wrist.

Joey gradually got up, and walked over to the window. His eyes caught the sun's rays, blinded by its light. He didn't want to watch the outside, though it had been awhile since he had been out there. Joey once welcomed the outside world, but now that passion of being there had dissipated, perhaps forever. He found the world to be cruel, dark and lonely, no one would care if he died then and there, but his reason for remaining alive remained a mystery.

Joey walked away from the window, the uneasy feeling in his stomach ached to the point when he had to run to the bathroom. He staggered in his rapid pace to reach the desired room, as he got there, turned on the light switch, and collapsed beside the toilet. Joey's eyes were filled with tears, his vision was cloudy, and he finally vomited inside the toilet.

He groaned in pain as he finished what was left within him. Joey rested his head on the wall, his hands shaking feverishly. His face was pale, and he couldn't stand at all. His eyes were half-shut with slumber as he observed the tiles on the floor, wondering if he should have listened to Yugi and Mai's warning.

"They're wrong…" Joey muttered softly. "This is the only way to not feel the agony of the outside world, and I don't care if I die… No one cares about me… I only have myself…"

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Author's Notes: Can anyone guess why Joey may be hurting himself? And there may be a possibility Kaiba may become involved, but I am unsure of yet. Please review.


	4. The Dragon Bares Its Fangs

Author's Notes: I guess my question was a bit hard. Hint: This will be a Joey/Mai pairing. I'm quite surprised that many like this story, never got this many reviews. Anyway, here's the chapter.

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Chapter 4: The Dragon Bares Its Fangs

The sound of running water in the bathroom could be heard within Joey's apartment. The foul smell of vomit seemed intoxicating in the clean air as Joey cleaned his face by the sink.

His hands shook, grasping the counter while washing all the vomit from his mouth. Joey stared at the mirror, noticing how pale he was and his blond hair was even messier than before. He carefully cupped his hands together and placed them under the faucet to obtain water. He then poured the cool, refreshing liquid into his mouth, tasting its lack of flavor despite drinking alcohol in the previous hours.

Joey turned off the faucet, and then went straight to his living room. His uneasy feeling had disappeared, but he felt weak and exhausted. He collapsed onto his sofa to relax.

Joey's eyes were red and puffy from the vomiting and all he wanted to do was forget about the entire day. He flipped himself as he rested on his stomach. Joey glanced at his wrist which had the red gash on it, the sickening look reminded him of what he had done to it, and the harm he caused Yugi.

The accursed knife laid deceitfully on the table, glinting in his eyes. There was dried blood on its sharp side and the floor was stained with his blood too. The haunting blade attracted Joey to stare at it, compelling him to complete his unfinished task. The knife was his salvation that he could turn to ease his pain.

Joey wandered his gaze to his two other tools of leisure. The syringes lay dismayed on the floor and table, and the beer bottles were left empty which they were carelessly thrown on the floor.

The shattered shards of glass beside the bottom edge of the table remained on the floor. Each piece of different sizes and shapes were once part of the same bottle, but now they were no more. Putting back the pieces was not simple, similar to what became of Joey Wheeler, the third best duelist in the world as Seto Kaiba, and second place winner of Duelist Kingdom.

The very inside of his soul had been torn, something was missing in his life, the essential part that kept him alive. Without it, Joey would rather die than live another second in this world.

"I want to die, but I can't…" Joey said forlornly. He sat upright and reached for his wallet in the back of his jeans pocket. He found the item and opened it to reveal a picture of him and Mai during Battle City. "Why did she come back…?" Tears flowed down his cheeks as Joey wept from his sadness.

Meanwhile, a young red-haired girl stood upon the platform of her local train station, waiting for Téa and Tristan to arrive. She looked at the clock standing on a pole, ticking each second that had gone by.

_Yugi seemed very upset about Joey on the phone,_ Serenity thought. _He said I would not believe him if he spoke of my brother, but instead wanted me to see for myself._

Serenity heard a train approaching the platform, coming from Domino. People began emerging from the train as a pair of familiar faces confronted Serenity.

"Serenity!" Téa called out, waving her hand in the air.

Serenity was overjoyed to see her friends again. She smiled brightly to them as they came over to her. "Hi." Serenity greeted. She glanced at the clock once more to verify the time for the next train to Domino would come. "We're going to need to wait a few minutes. Luckily you two came on time."

"What luck." Téa remarked.

"How are you?" Tristan asked.

"I'm fine." Serenity answered. "Um… Is there something wrong with Joey?" She received sadden expressions from their faces.

"It's hard to explain…" Téa said, a strong breeze blew as the train stopped at the station.

The three got on the train that led back to Domino City. They sat together as Serenity and Téa took the window side and Tristan sat beside Serenity. The train started to move as the sun descending into the horizon. The rest of the trip, no one spoke at all.

Back at the Game Shop, a nervous Mai paced around the shop, staring at the clock every time she got the chance. The constant ticking irritated her that she decided to stop walking and rested her back on the counter.

Yugi came downstairs to check on Mai. He worried about her behavior, and he opted to talk to her. "Mai," Yugi said timidly, as Mai looked at him. "I thought maybe you would like to go for a walk to calm down. We can at least cool our nerves." He went into the back of the shop to locate his grandfather in the storage room. "Grandpa, Mai and I are going for a walk!"

"Be careful." Yugi heard Solomon call out.

Yugi and Mai left the Game Shop and entered the evening life of Domino City. The streetlights turned on as they strolled down the sidewalk, passing by businesses and stores. People walked around as some came out from work and were heading back home.

Mai grew a suspicious feeling of being followed. She scanned the area, but everything appeared fine. Mai was sure someone had to be there, and they had to be hiding. "Yugi, be alert." she advised him.

Yugi examined the way she looked. He nodded for a moment before replying. "Is there something I should know?"

Mai shook her hand negatively. "I guess I'm being paranoid." she responded. They continued on their walk.

A black limo concealed behind an alleyway waited for Mai and Yugi to depart, the owner of the vehicle did not want them to know he was following them.

His stern blue eyes glimpsed at them, trying to figure out what Mai meant before. Kaiba ordered his driver to proceed the pursuit. He hadn't any idea why he was monitoring them, he didn't do anything to Joey. The CEO couldn't help but feel actually guilt within him, this had never occurred to him. Never.

_Perhaps it's time to seek my answers from Yugi then,_ Kaiba thought, as the limo drove by Domino Park where Mai and Yugi entered. "Dammit!" Kaiba cursed under his breath. He immediately stepped out of the limo, distressing the driver. "Wait here!" He commanded as he ran into the park.

The park was illuminated with dozens of streetlamps that guided people safely out and kept them from getting lost. The trees swayed in the evening breeze as the wind blew Mai's hair. Leaves scuttled about on the ground, the thud of running footsteps seemed faint to them. It suddenly grew louder as Mai shuddered.

"Yugi," Mai said. She whipped around to face him, and grabbed him. "We need to hide." Mai pulled him behind the bushes to see who followed them.

Kaiba's white trench coat billowed as he ran to find Yugi and Mai. He searched the park carefully to no avail. His frustration began to aggravate him, slowing down his pace.

"It's Kaiba." Yugi whispered. "What is he doing here?"

"I don't know." Mai replied, turning her head, and she realized a strand of her hair became entangled within the thin branches of the bush. "Great…"

Yugi tried to assist her by removing her hair from the branch. He tugged on it, but it only caused Mai pain. Mai prevented herself from screaming, or else Kaiba would have found them.

The movement of the bush they hid in attracted Kaiba to it. At first, he thought an animal was there, but he got a closer look to see what it really was. He looked behind and discovered the dilemma that was going on.

Yugi froze the moment they were caught while Mai glared at Kaiba. Mai gently pulled her hair away and smoothed out the edges in the strand. She stood up and confronted the CEO. Yugi immediately got up and came in between them.

"You were following us!" Mai spat.

Kaiba smirked. "The last we met you said something was wrong with Wheeler," he explained. "Now, tell me what's going on."

"Well…" Yugi paused for a brief moment. "Will you believe us if we told you?"

"Get on with whatever you are going to say." Kaiba said.

"Joey's… He's… hurting himself." Mai cried.

"What!" Kaiba shouted. For once in his life, he felt actual shock. "Why would Wheeler do that? Isn't his life pathetic enough?"

"Kaiba!" Mai scolded. "If we don't do something, Joey will die!"

Kaiba's eyes widened. He considered for a moment before coming to a decision. "I'll help, if it will do any good."

"You will?" Yugi questioned. He received a nod from Kaiba as a response.

They began to leave the park as Kaiba called his driver by using the communicator inside the collar of his trench coat. The limo came by and picked the trio up. Kaiba told his driver to head to the Game Shop

Upon approaching the shop, Serenity, Téa and Tristan arrived around the same time. They were surprised to see that Kaiba was actually helping too, they thought he had other things to do, like running KaibaCorp. Whatever changed his mind, they were happy for his assistance.

They went inside the Game Shop where Yugi, Mai, Téa and Tristan had to explain to Serenity and Kaiba the situation. The discussion didn't take too long, but the news seemed hard on Serenity. Her big brother was abusing himself and no one understood why.

Mai pitied Serenity since she was closer to Joey as a family. His good-for-nothing father didn't care about his children, and Joey had always been by Serenity's side. Until that day when he and Serenity were separated and they barely got to see each other since then.

"How are we to begin?" Yugi asked everyone in the shop.

"The first thing is he needs to see that people do care about, but I hate to have Serenity see how Joey looks." Mai suggested.

Serenity stepped forward. "I'll be fine. Joey and I have been through a lot when we growing up, and he needs our help now."

"Okay then, tomorrow morning we're all going to see Joey and set him straight!" Mai contemplated.

* * *

Author's Notes: That's all for this chapter, and now Kaiba has decided to help. Hard to believe, right? Also, I will be busy writing my other stories, so it may take awhile to update the next chapter of this story. Well, review!


	5. Temptation

Author's Notes: I expected at least someone to object Kaiba helping Yugi and the others, but the reason should be explained in this chapter. Sorry if I kept everyone waiting for this one, I had some things in mind for this chapter, so here it is.

* * *

Chapter 5: Temptation

The stars shone high above the black sky of the night, each sparkled in Mai's eyes as she stared out the window. The room fell silent after she and Yugi explained to Serenity and Kaiba about Joey.

Mai wondered why Kaiba came along. She knew both Joey and Kaiba did not like each other and neither would it seem they will. She looked towards Kaiba's direction, wary of any activity he was doing.

Serenity and Téa sat on the sofa as they talked over things about Joey in the past few weeks they've seen him. They could not believe what they heard was true and they wanted to help Joey. Yet, what could they possibly do when both Yugi and Mai had failed?

The CEO had kept to himself by a corner with his arms crossed. He didn't understand why he was with Yugi and his friends, he never was involved with them, but for some reason Kaiba joined them. Kaiba loathed these 'geeks' for the longest time he had known them, and now he was with them, could he actually consider them friends? No. Something about Joey bothered him and Kaiba wanted to know directly from Mai of some news he recently heard that the others were perhaps oblivious to.

"Kaiba," Mai said as he faced her. "Why did you decide to join us if you hate Joey so much? I want to know the 'real' reason." She glowered at him for a few moments and then turned to the others. "I don't have all night."

"I guess I should be expecting some sign of intelligence coming from one of the mutt's friends," Kaiba commented. He leaned his back to the wall, and smirked. "A person was murdered a few weeks ago, probably killed during a gang fight. No one knows who killed him, but investigators say he was beaten then stabbed to death."

Yugi's eyes widened in astonishment. "I heard about that. You don't think Joey is responsible, do you?" he asked fearfully.

Téa abruptly stood up and glared at Kaiba. "Look, if you're suspecting Joey of murdering that person it's not true!" she protested. "He wouldn't harm anyone."

"Téa!" Tristan scolded, anger building his voice. "Before you and Yugi got to know Joey, he would hurt any person. Remember, he used to belong to Hirutani's gang, so he wouldn't be afraid to kill someone."

"But why would he resort himself to do such a thing!" Mai argued, staring at Tristan. "He changed his ways. I know he wouldn't murder someone…"

Serenity looked at everyone with a shocked expression on her face. She lowered her head with disappointment in her eyes. "Maybe that is why Joey is abusing himself. I understand at times that the world can be harsh, especially with people living on it," she said. "Joey probably felt bad because of the damage he'd done, but he should have talked to us before torturing himself due to the pain."

Yugi began to recall some details while he was over at Joey's apartment. The place was a mess and it seemed Joey had barely left too. Possibly the only time he did leave was to buy alcohol.

"We have to find out the truth from Joey, or else it will be too late." Yugi warned. "We need to take action now before we will regret the consequences."

"Do you even know where to begin?" Kaiba inquired, stepping into the middle of the room.

Mai blinked. "I don't suppose you have an idea. If you do, why don't you share with us?" she said back. Mai turned her back towards Kaiba.

"We all should go see Joey." Serenity suggested, her head titled away from them. "Maybe we can try to convince him to tell us what is wrong."

"Mai and I tried already. Joey didn't admit anything to us." Yugi replied.

Mai strolled to the door, opening it slightly. Her back was still facing the others. "We may as well try." She responded.

"Wait, Mai, you said you saw Joey at a bar." Yugi said, placing his finger on his chin. "Investigating may prove helpful, the clues seem scarce but starting there is the only way."

"That sounds like a good idea, but who's going?" Tristan queried.

The room fell silent.

Kaiba walked over to the door where Mai was and stared back at the others. "It's not in my interest to see Wheeler yet. I'll willingly go with you." He replied. Kaiba opened the door and proceeded down the staircase.

Mai glowered at him cautiously, pondering why Kaiba wanted to come with her. She wasn't even sure if she were talking to the real Seto Kaiba. The CEO probably had some motives behind the murder he spoke about, but could he had been involved? Perhaps Kaiba witnessed the scene and blamed himself.

Still Kaiba couldn't feel guilty of Joey, and his arrival seemed peculiar. Mai thought there had to be a connection.

"Um, Mai?" Serenity questioned, snapping Mai out of her trance. The young red-head stood in front of her. "Be careful out there. Whatever is going on probably caused my brother to abuse himself."

"I hope Joey will listen to us. He doesn't realize how important his life is, and I hate to see you lose your only brother." Mai replied kindly. She began descending the stairs with Kaiba in front.

Both Mai and Kaiba landed on the bottom step and entered the Game Shop. The room was dark, seemingly obvious that Solomon had closed the shop for the night. Mai quietly unlocked the front door and stepped out, with Kaiba re-locking it.

Kaiba's limo remained outside; the driver had fallen asleep on the steering wheel waiting for Kaiba to return. The sudden slam of the backdoor startled him as he looked at the rear mirror to find Kaiba and Mai sitting in the back. The driver dared not question the CEO about why Mai was with him.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Downtown." Kaiba answered.

The limo sped away into the tranquil streets of Domino. The streetlights shined on Mai's face each time they passed them. No one walked upon the sidewalk, most were frightened to be mugged by gangs that usually came out during the night.

Despite the reputation Domino City had for thugs roaming about, Yugi, Serenity, Tristan and Téa took the risk by heading to Joey's apartment building. There was no way they could sleep peacefully, knowing that Joey's condition was worsening each hour that approached.

Téa shuddered, not from the chill in the air, but being outside at night. She wasn't comfortable with the idea, and only came along to keep her friends company.

Téa, nothing is going to happen." Yugi assured, grabbing her hand. "I promise we'll be okay."

"Thanks." Téa replied.

They finally arrived at the apartment complex, noticing through Joey's window that the lights remained on. Silently, they climbed the stairway reaching to the level the apartment was. Within moments, the door to Joey's place suddenly flung open, startling Yugi and the others.

An upset Joey peered from the doorway, realizing he had nearly scared to death his very own friends. He walked out, alerting them that Joey probably was mad at them for coming without first telling him.

Yugi hid his bandaged arm away from Joey, but his friend saw it just before he did conceal it. The two watched each other warily, as if they were no longer trusting one another as friends.

"Joey?" Serenity said, smiling at him that she could see him again. She ran over to his side, embracing him. "I missed you, big brother."

Joey was completely baffled by her unexpected visit. He reluctantly hugged his little sister back; a hint of happiness was in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" Joey asked.

Serenity parted away from him, looking at the floor. "I know what's going on… and I'm here to help," she said. "Joey, I don't want to lose you, and neither do our friends."

"Where's Mai?"

Yugi bit his lip. "Ah…" Joey awaited for his response. "Well, sh-she's back at the Game Shop. Mai was still angry after she saw you. She thought you looked terrible."

"Or seen better days." Téa added. She nudged Tristan to make him say something else.

"Yeah, she wouldn't stop talking about you, like non-stop," Tristan said. "Mai seems very worried about you."

Joey smirked. "That's the lamest excuse I ever heard," he replied, catching onto them. His friends became nervous. "Now where's Mai?" he asked again.

"She went with Kaiba to this bar downtown." Serenity answered, slowly stepping away from her brother.

Joey's eyes suddenly doubled in size. He could barely remember if he had seen Mai in the exact bar he was at earlier in the day. Perhaps he should have ceased drinking alcohol since it was ruining his memory. Joey was slightly ill at the thought because he had vomited from consuming a lot of the substance before.

His eyes gradually began closing, and Joey collapsed to the floor. Tristan rushed over and picked his friend up. Yugi, Serenity and Téa assisted them by carrying Joey's body back into his apartment.

Yugi shut the door behind him, and watched as his friends placed Joey down on his sofa. He walked over to him, realizing that Joey's breathing was ragged.

"I hope Mai and Kaiba are successful in their search." Yugi said softly to himself.

The limo pulled over by an alley nearby the bar. Mai and Kaiba appeared out and continued their way by walking. Surprisingly, the bar was still open, meaning that they could examine the place.

They both calmly entered through the door; many of the customers were resting lazily atop the bar counter or tables surrounding the place. The sick sensation Mai felt when she was here returned, but she had to quickly look around for the door she saw Joey go into. The drunken men were grinning at her, impressed at how she looked to them. It seemed they were in their own delusional world where their wildest fantasies could be played out.

Mai spotted the door as she faced Kaiba who had an infuriated look on his expression. Intriguing, though, it seemed the CEO despised these men sprawled about like they had nothing else better to do.

"Filthy, aren't they?" Mai inquired.

"People like these are animals, waiting for a gentle person to help them survive," Kaiba said, his face now rather smug. "This truly sickens me. I can imagine what the man Wheeler's father was like; pathetic like all of them."

"Well, the door is right over there." Mai indicated to him far across the bar.

"Let's just get this over with." Kaiba strolled over as Mai followed in back of him.

They ignored the faces of the people they past by, each whom probably thrown away their life since they thought they no longer met up to society's ways. Without a doubt, the room behind the door was merely the next step to revealing what Joey kept away from his friends.

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm not really sure when I'll have the next chapter up. Well, review.


	6. Breaking The Habit

Author's Notes: Forgive me for the long update but I was sort of busy with another story of mine until I had writer's block for it. Luckily I was able to have this chapter ready.

* * *

Chapter 6: Breaking The Habit

With Kaiba's hand on the doorknob, he slowly turned it and pushed the door aside. He narrowed his eyes, searching for shifty activity within. It appeared the lights were off in the small room, and a foul smell satiated the air.

Kaiba wrinkled his nose in disgust as he smelled it. He casually entered the room with Mai following behind. Raising his arm to the wall, Kaiba tried to find the light switch in the dark room.

Mai held her breath to avoid inhaling the pungent stench that she and Kaiba despised. She decided to help the CEO as she placed her hands on the wall, feeling her way to the switch. She felt the small, smooth knob and flicked it in an upward position.

Instantly, the lights turned on but they weren't expecting some unhappy residents. Two powerful pairs of arms grabbed Kaiba from behind and held him over to the side. The CEO glared at the thugs and tried to shrug them off until he heard Mai scream.

Mai was sure she felt a pistol pressed upon her back. She didn't know who held the gun, but she was concerned for both she and Kaiba's safety.

"Who are you?" the man behind Mai asked.

Kaiba nor Mai responded.

"Answer the question!" one of the thugs holding Kaiba demanded, yet Kaiba still wouldn't speak.

Mai heard the trigger click. Her entire body trembled in fear of what would happen if either of them answered.

"Boss, this guy looks an awfully like Seto Kaiba," the second thug observed.

"Moron, I think it is!" his companion replied fearfully.

The gun was removed from Mai's back as the man pushed her to the corner. The weapon was still out, ready to be fired.

Mai looked at the man inquisitively, sensing as if he was the one in charge. She couldn't help but stare at Kaiba helplessly.

"Hirutani," one of the thugs said. "What are we going to do about them?"

At that moment, Mai's eyes widened. The leader's name sounded familiar to her, unfortunately she couldn't remember where. She realized Kaiba had a glint in his eyes that meant he was up to something. She slid down to the floor as Kaiba grabbed the thugs by the collar of their shirts and tossed them to the other side of the room.

Hirutani watched with amusement as his goons landed on each other on the cold floor. He set the gun on the nearby table and sat down on a wooden chair.

"Who knew the CEO of a multibillion corporation could beat my two men down," Hirutani said. "It's a shame Joey was not here to deal with you."

"Joey!" Mai shouted. She stammered to the table and smacked her palms on it. "Tell me you know him!"

Hirutani raised an eyebrow. "He used to be part of my gang until he was set straight by that runt Mutou."

The men gradually stood up, rubbing their backs of pain from the fall. They gave death glares to one another and crossed their arms.

"Boss, Wheeler was here just a few hours ago." One of them said.

"Zack, you tell him now and not before!" the other scolded.

"Were we supposed to tell him the names of his customers then…?" Zack replied in a bemused manner. His expression shown how very confused he was.

"Vince, Zack!" Hirutani called out. "You two idiots let Joey go and not say anything! How dense are you!"

Kaiba chuckled. "This is what happens when you depend on fools to do your work." He said.

"So, you're the one Joey told me about," Mai interrupted. "I thought he took care of you."

"That punk should know better than to rebel against me," Hirutani stated. "His little friend Yugi interfered with us, though my gang would have been able to kill that pipsqueak if Joey hadn't saved him."

Mai faced Hirutani's two goons, glaring angrily at them. "Why was Joey in here just a few hours ago?" she questioned.

Both Vince and Zack exchanged glances with each other. Then they turned their backs away from them and spoke in whisper. It seemed they were trying to confirm the information that Mai sought.

"He only came for more liquor and something else…" Zack said, confronting Mai.

"Like what?" Mai reprimanded.

Zack lifted his hands to show Mai a small plastic bag containing white powder. "This should answer your question."

"Of course, we didn't give it to him since he didn't pay up his tab," Vince added. "Just how he became addicted is a mystery to us."

Hirutani grinned. He thought something about one of his gang members being killed had to do with Joey. How else could Joey had found out who the dealer was?

Kaiba kept a close watch on Hirutani. The CEO didn't trust what Hirutani was hiding, but he couldn't query yet about his suspicions.

"We're leaving." Kaiba said, walking to the door.

"But, Kaiba!" Mai replied. She noticed the CEO disappearing through the doorway and he did not respond to her. Mai shook her head back at the three men and then strode out of the room, closing the door.

Hirutani's grin grew bigger and he started to laugh. "Joey has taken the bait," he sneered, smirking deviously at his men. Zack and Vince backed away from him, frightened of his behavior. "Joey always had a weak side, and the manipulation is working perfectly. He'll soon regret ever abandoning my gang for his worthless friends."

Serenity sat beside her brother on the couch, smoothing out his messy blond hair. She rested his head on her lap like a pillow as their friends mournfully stared at Joey. Téa handed Serenity a wet towel that she took and placed on Joey's forehead which was sweaty and hot.

"Big brother, you're going to be fine." Serenity said in a kind and loving tone.

Joey slowly opened his eyes, but his vision was blurry so he couldn't see his sister's face. His arms laid limp on the couch as his left leg dangled on the floor. Breathing became more difficult for him, his chest rising and falling with pain. His skin was pale and clammy and his eyes were bloodshot.

"We need to take him to the hospital." Yugi suggested. "He's not going to get better here."

"I agree." Téa replied.

Tristan was unable to look at his sickly friend. "It's for the best. Joey can't go on like this."

Joey overheard their conversation, and he tried to sit upright. His body still felt limp, but he persisted. With the bit of strength he had left, Joey got on to his feet and glowered at his friends with watery eyes.

"I'll…live…" Joey insisted.

"You're barely even able to stand," Tristan stated, holding him while Joey stood with weak, shaky legs. "We're going to take you to the hospital whether you like it or not."

Serenity stood up and went over to Joey's small kitchen. She saw dishes were left unwashed by the sink and the trash bin was filled to capacity. Alcohol bottles splayed around the floor as Serenity walked, reaching the cabinets. She opened one and searched for a glass.

Téa entered the kitchen, looking for her. She noticed Serenity's ill gaze and she strolled to her. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

Serenity found a glass in a near-empty cabinet and she headed for the sink. "I wanted to get Joey some water." She answered. Settling the glass underneath the faucet, Serenity turned the knob as water poured into the glass.

"This place is such a mess," Téa said, watching Serenity turn off the faucet. "I just hope Mai and Kaiba found some clues as to why Joey is like this."

Serenity nodded. "There isn't much we can do until we know what's going on," she replied, exiting the kitchen with Téa.

Both girls heard a yell from the living room. They were sure Joey and Tristan had to be arguing.

"Joey, we're not going to leave you to die!" Tristan spat, cornering Joey.

Yugi tried to come between them, but he was pushed aside. "We can't force him!" Yugi said defensively.

"He's acting like an idiot!" Tristan inferred. He grabbed Joey and pulled him towards the door.

"Tristan, stop it!" Serenity begged.

"I rather die…" Joey whispered weakly. "You all won't miss me after I'm gone. I don't belong in this world… I'm the problem, and I hate my life…"

Yugi shook his head negatively. "No, Joey, don't say that," he said. "We care about you, even Serenity."

Joey remained silent. He walked passed them and grabbed the blood-stained knife lying on the table. Lifting it up to his face, the blade gleamed hideously in the light.

"There's no way else to go for me. Either end it now or continue living my life that has become hell." Joey responded.

The knife was raised in the air and he plunged it towards his torso. A strong hand stopped him as Joey stared into brown eyes belonging to his sister. He realized Tristan held back the knife and took it away before Joey finished the job.

Joey knelt down on the floor with tears in his eyes. His hands trembled as he looked at them. The blurry vision of his friends was all he could see until everything turned black.

Meanwhile Mai and Kaiba rode back to the Game Shop in the limo. The dark sky hovered above, stars shining brightly. Streetlights flashed by as the limo approached their destination.

_Well, it doesn't look like we got much from Hirutani,_ Mai thought, her eyes adverting Kaiba. _Something about him doesn't make me feel comfortable._

"Did you believe anything Hirutani told us?" Mai asked.

Kaiba ignored her, gazing out the window. His face was stoic, and he had his arms and legs crossed.

Mai grew agitated of him. "I'll take that silence as a I-Don't-Know!" she yelled. Still, Kaiba didn't say a word. "Are you going to sit there with your mouth shut or what!"

"Why?" Kaiba questioned, staring at Mai with cold cerulean eyes. "Why did you come back after all the damage you did to Wheeler?"

Mai sat motionless. She couldn't understand why Kaiba was asking a question like that as if they were friends. Kaiba never cared about her or her friends, and it was less likely he was growing attached to them.

"I never accepted Joey's defeat during our duel within the Orichalcos," Mai began, "I was so alone with no one to turn to, but towards myself. Then, Valon came to me, he granted me a chance at power, and those nightmares… They wouldn't go away!"

"So instead you seized the opportunity to join Dartz and his goon squad to finally gain the chance to duel Wheeler." Kaiba replied. "How pathetic."

Mai bit her lip. He had to be right, she was pathetic. She tried to run away from the past, but even power couldn't help her. The more she wanted to forget, the more terrifying the nightmares became. There was no escape unless Mai confronted her fears.

"I don't suppose someone like you wanted to forget the past," Mai admonished.

"In fact I did." Kaiba responded with a smirk. "The Duel Tower was the last bit of memories that I wanted to lay down to rest, and now it's gone."

"Mr. Kaiba, we're here." The driver said, indicating that they arrived to the Game Shop.

Mai got out of the limo and walked up to the door. She found a piece of paper taped onto it. Removing it, Mai read what the note said.

Kaiba opened the passenger door in the limo and saw Mai with the note. He looked around, realizing that the lights were off throughout the place. He quickly deduced that Yugi, Téa, Tristan and Serenity had left, probably to visit Joey.

"Well, they went to see Joey." Mai said, heading to the limo. She held out the paper to Kaiba so he could read. Her heels tapped irritably on the pavement. "I can't believe they decided to go without telling us."

"Get in." Kaiba instructed. He motioned to the door, his eyes on a particular corner in the shadows.

"What's the big hurry?" Mai inquired. She was pushed into the vehicle by Kaiba, and he immediately followed in.

"You're going to give the directions to Wheeler's place, now." Kaiba ordered.

Mai blinked. "All right. Go straight and then turn on the first block." She said to the driver.

The limo pulled away from the Game Shop, speeding off in the distance. Mai couldn't comprehend why Kaiba wanted to leave, but she suspected someone was spying on them. A dark figure hid in the alleyway, waiting for them to leave.

"That Kaiba is more perceptive than I thought." Hirutani said as he appeared in the streetlight. He turned to face his two lackeys, but he noticed that they were asleep. "Idiots! This is not the time to nap!"

Zack and Vince woke up as they heard Hirutani's yells. They got up from the ground and ran out of the alley in a rush. In a couple of seconds the two realized that there was no danger.

"Hey, what are we running _from_?" Vince queried.

"Ah, I don't think the boss is too happy about this…" Zack said fearfully, seeing Hirutani fuming mad.

"How did I ever get stuck with them?" Hirutani complained, approaching them. "I have some plans to deal with Joey. Though, I doubt he'll live any longer."

The tires screeched as the driver maneuvered as fast as he could to control the speed. It was very clear that Kaiba wanted to get to Joey's place much faster. The limo swerved off to a nearby alley and then the engine stopped running. Two doors opened as Mai and Kaiba stepped out and they went straight to the apartment complex.

"Yugi," Mai called out as she saw him climbing down the steps.

"You're back!" Yugi exclaimed. As he reached ground level, Yugi ran to Mai and he breathed heavily once he met up with her. "I'm glad you returned back."

"You could have told us before we left that you guys were coming here," Mai said. "How is he?"

Yugi nodded his head. "Not good. We planned to take him to the hospital." He replied. "Have you found out anything?"

"Yugi, do you know someone by the name Hirutani?"

Yugi's eyes doubled in size as the name reminded him of dreadful times. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know." He responded. Yugi glanced over Mai's shoulder. "Uh, I don't mean to scare anyone but who are they?"

Mai and Kaiba looked around and found themselves surrounded by thugs. The two edged nearer to Yugi as they became trapped within the circle. There was no way for them to escape unless they fought through the thugs.

"Great," Kaiba said, glaring at Hirutani who was alleviated space by the group. "And to think, you still care for that mutt."

Hirutani grinned. "Heh, that isn't why I'm here. I want revenge for what Wheeler did to me!" Hirutani ambled closer to the three, and he noticed Yugi. "I especially want you gone from the picture, but I'll start by killing that half-dead punk in front of you!"

"No!" Mai cried out as she saw Zack and Vince drag Joey's body into the street. She glowered as Téa, Serenity and Tristan were forcefully thrown to them by some of Hirutani's thugs. "What are you going to do with Joey!"

"Sadly, since he's still alive from the alcohol and drug abuse he'd undergone, I'm going to end his miserable life." Hirutani said, loading a bullet to the same gun he used on Mai. "Oh, and just for your information, this wasn't loaded earlier."

"You can't!" Serenity screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks. She tried to reach Joey, but Tristan stopped her.

"You'll get hurt!" Tristan warned. He held tightly to her as Serenity struggled to break free. Téa came by to calm her down.

Hirutani pointed the gun to Joey's unmoving form on the ground. The trigger was pulled and was ready to be shot. Everyone couldn't do anything at all to save him before Joey's final moments to survive.

"No!" Mai yelled at the top of her lungs as the gun fired.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yes, I'm stopping the chapter here. Unfortunately you won't know if Joey was able to dodge that bullet or not until the chapter. Guess you have to wait then.


End file.
